


A Pair of Earmuffs, A Frozen Lake and Renegade Mistletoe

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders' Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-15
Updated: 2008-01-15
Packaged: 2019-01-19 12:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12410109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: This was my Christmas Fic Exchange entry. WARNING - EXTREME FLUFFYNESS... you've been warned.





	1. 1. This Story Begins With a Pair of Earmuffs

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**This story was my entry for the Christmas fic exchange. The promt was as follows -**

**Main characters: The Marauders, Lily** ****  
Main ships: Lily/James, Sirius/Remus  
Genres: Action/Adventure, Romance, Humour   
Fic era: Marauder-era   
Prompt details: It's Christmastime: Sirius, Peter and Remus know Lily and James are mad about each other...but need to find a way to get them to admit it. Various misadventues ensue, at the author's discretion! Note: Peter-inclusion is a wonderful thing! I like my Peter as left-out and vulnerable, but not inherently evil, just naive. The fic doesn't have to include his 'temptation' and defection at all, but just to include him as part of the gang. Other note: Lily/Snape is a less wonderful thing. Just say no!

**And this is what I wrote! Thanks to Lady Apocalymon for the prompt!**

***

 

** 1\. This Story Begins With A Pair Of Earmuffs. **

The sun was streaming through the windows, causing the red’s and gold’s in the sofa’s of the Gryffindor common room shine warmly, making the already cosy room look even cosier. Remus had his feet up on the table in front of him and a book was open in his lap; he was supposed to be reading it but it was increasingly difficult.  


Sirius Black was sat on a chair opposite; lounging, trying every trick he could to get the boy opposite to watch him. He didn’t have to try hard.  
 

“Stop it.”  
 

Sirius raised a dark eyebrow into a high arch. “What would you have me stop, Moony?” he asked innocently.  
 

Not looking up from his book Remus replied “I would have you stop what you are doing.”  
 

Leaning forward, his hair falling into his eyes in its usual elegance, Sirius smirked that handsome smirk of his. “And what is it that I am doing?”  
 

“Distracting.”   
 

He seemed to agree. “I know, I know, but Moony my good man, it’s tough to stop doing something which comes so naturally.”  
 

Remus didn’t dignify that with a response. He merely kept his eyes on the page in front of him and tried desperately to ignore the young man who was watching his face so intently. After a few minutes he felt something nudging gently at his ankle; when he looked down he saw Sirius’ foot slowly drawing circles on the inside of his leg which made him the tiniest bit uncomfortable.  
“Padfoot!” he hissed so no one else could hear. “Not here! Someone will see.”   
 

Sirius rolled his eyes extravagantly. “No one’s watching Moony.”  
 

“Sirius please.”  
 

Tutting Sirius moved his foot away and crossed his arms. “Don’t know what you’re so worried about.”  
 

“Hmmm, let me see…” muttered Remus as he closed his book and looked up in what he presumed was a thoughtful manner. “…being outed to the whole common room, maybe.”  
 

Sirius shrugged. The thought of being outed had never really bothered him as much as it seemed to bother Remus. He had never been the sort of person who lived by other people’s rules; he always made his own and lived by them. He’d never really been bothered by other peoples opinions of him either. Suddenly an idea hit him. “So why don’t we take this upstairs?” he asked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.   
 

Just at the moment Remus was thinking of a witty retort Peter landed flat on his face in front of them both. “I’m alright!” he announced as he stood quickly, straightening his robes.  
 

“Are your laces untied again Wormtail?” asked Remus, fully aware that Sirius was now giving Peter the evil eye.   
 

Peter looked down and then shrugged. “Nope...that’s the third time I’ve fallen over this morning but no matter. So…” he looked eagerly between his two friends “…what are you two up to?”  
 

Remus looked uncomfortable but Sirius just leant forward and said “Well actually Wormtail, me ‘n Moony were just about to go and-”  
 

“I’m reading!” interrupted Remus whose cheeks had turned pink. “And Padfoot is annoying me, as per usual.”  
 

“I hardly see how sitting here constitutes as annoying you.” shot back Sirius, who was now officially in a bad mood.  
 

“I suppose it’s just a gift you have.” replied Remus with a raised eyebrow. Many people would do anything to avoid a confrontation with Sirius Black because his temper was renowned for being on the short side but Remus had never been afraid of him or his temper.  
 

Peter however _was_ a little afraid of Sirius and, seeing the beginning of an argument on the horizon, he changed the subject. “Anyone fancy a game of gobstones? Wizard’s chess maybe? How about exploding snap?”   
 

“No thank you Wormtail, I want to finish this chapter.” answered Remus politely before disappearing behind his book again.  
 

After trying hard to burn a hole through Remus’ precious book with his eyes Sirius huffed loudly and grabbed a pack of exploding snap cards from the table. “Alright Wormtail, best two out of three.”  
 

Ten minutes had gone by without much incident. Sirius had been momentarily distracted trying to catch Remus’ attention and was lucky to still have his left eyebrow but other than that everything was calm. That is until the common room door opened.  
 

James strolled in swiftly with the biggest grin on his face, quickly followed by Lily who did not look quite as amused.  
 

“James Potter! I swear if you don’t give me back my earmuffs I’ll castrate you!”  
 

Not fazed by the fact that the entire common room of people (granted that wasn’t too many but still a fair few) were staring at him, he laughed loudly. “Lily calm down, will you? There’s no need to talk like that.”  
 

She almost stomped her foot like a child. “Give me them back!”  
 

Looking upwards as though he was thinking James put a hand to his chin and said “I don’t think I appreciate your willingness to castrate me. I think I’ll keep hold of these ‘muffs of great ear-ness’ for a bit longer.”  
 

“James stop being a prat!”  
 

All three of the boys by the fire were watching and none of them noticed when all the exploding snap cards combusted in retaliation for being ignored.  
 

“I know!” announced James as though he’d come up with a brilliant idea. “I think I’ll take them upstairs into the lad’s dorm! See if I can’t get some of that lovely boy smell into them!”  
 

“You dare!” warned Lily, wagging her finger.  
 

“Oh I dare!” And with that James leapt up the boy’s staircase, three steps at a time.  
 

Lily had gone to the archway at the bottom of the stairs but seemed rather reluctant to go up them. Instead she stayed where she was and yelled “James Potter I’m not going up there! Come back here now you swine!”  
 

From somewhere up in the dormitories James’ voice sounded amused. “Hey look! I’m thinking of seeing if these earmuffs will survive a tumble from the dorm window…”  
 

This was apparently the last straw for Lily and she ended up stomping up the stairs shouting “For the love of Pete, Potter just give me them!”  
 

Peter had, at the mention of his name, puffed out his chest.  
 

“She didn’t mean you, you moron.” said Sirius as he rolled his eyes. “It’s a muggle expression.”   
 

Before Peter could retort Remus held a finger to his lips and said “Sshhh…they’re still arguing, listen.” and pointed to the stairs.  
 

Lily had shouted “Give me them!” and then there was a great crash.  
 

“Merlin Lily, you’re an awfully bad shot you know!” was James’ reply.  
 

It went on like this for a little while longer before they finally came back down the stairs, James in the lead of course and still grinning. “I can’t believe you’re such a bad aim!”  
 

Lily looked highly affronted and slightly rosy cheeked. “Only because you pulled the rug from under my feet!”  
 

“Moony’s gonna kill you when he sees the state you made of his bed curtains.”  
 

Lily winced and turned to Remus with an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry Remus, but this pillock moved.”  
 

Picturing the scene in his mind, Remus nodded amusedly. “That’s alright Lily. My bed curtains have suffered much more in the past, they’re used to it.” At this point he gave Peter a shifty scowl.  
 

Cottoning on Peter replied “I’m sorry but that case of the flaming flu was not my fault.”  
 

Sirius had begun to snigger. “No but you spurting 3 ft flames from your nostrils every time you sneezed was hilarious!”   
 

Deciding to take this as a compliment, Peter grinned that grin he did when he thought he’d done something right. No body had seen James edging closer to the door.  
 

“Oi Potter! Get back here with my earmuffs!” yelled Lily suddenly, almost deafening Remus.   
 

“No chance!” muttered James as he exited the room laughing.  
 

“What’s so important about your earmuffs then Lily?” asked Sirius quickly, half because he wanted to know and half because he wanted to give James a head start.  
 

Lily took a second or two to answer. “My ears will get cold.”  
 

“Eh?” asked Sirius but it was too late as she’d already left yelling at James who could be heard laughing from halfway down the corridor. He turned to the other two boys and shrugged. “So what’s so important about her earmuffs? She’s a witch, is she not? Hasn’t she heard of a heating charm?”  
 

Remus rolled his eyes. “It’s not the earmuffs she’s after.” he said wisely.  
 

Peter looked confused. “No? Could have fooled me.”  
 

“No Wormtail, it’s not. It Prongs she’s after.”  
 

“Never!” replied Peter a little excitedly but still with a disbelieving tone.  
 

“Isn’t it obvious?!” said Remus as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
 

Sirius had been looking at the portrait hole for a few seconds and spoke quietly. “Actually, that makes sense.”  
 

“Of course it does.” said Remus, glad Sirius had forgotten about his bad mood. “And Prongs is loving it.”  
 

With a quizzical expression Sirius started to say “But he says…”  
 

But Remus interrupted with “…That he’s not interested in her? Does that look like a bloke that’s not interested?!”  
 

“Fair point.”  
 

After a few moments of quiet Peter piped up. “So what does that mean?”  
 

Remus sighed before answering, as if the reply caused him grief. “It means we’re going to have a bit of a battle of wills on our hands.”  
 

Sirius chuckled. “Yeah, imagine Evans actually admitting she fancies Prongs! Hell would have to freeze over and such.”  
 

“It would never happen.” said Peter confidently.  
 

“Precisely.” said Sirius with a nod. “Best leave them to it if you ask me.”  
 

“I suppose so.” added Peter quietly.  
 

Remus just sat quietly, pretending to agree with his boyfriend though his mind was racing with possibilities.  


 


	2. 2. A Series of Uncomfortable Events

** 2\. A Series of Uncomfortable Events… **

  
**** ****

Charms was never very exciting when it was a theory lesson. Remus rubbed the back of his neck which ached from leaning over his desk (and the imminent transformation into a blood thirsty beast…) and let out a long breath. Suddenly he felt a nudge beneath the table on the side of his leg. “Not now Pads.” he hissed, knowing what a nudge from his boyfriend during Charms usually meant.  
 

“No Moony, you filthy minded wolf! Look at Lily.”   
 

So Remus lifted his head and scanned the room for Lily. She was sat with her head cradled in her left hand; the right was holding her wand which was levitating an ink well about a foot off the desk though she wasn’t looking at it but staring at something. Or someone.  
 

Lily Evans was sat staring at James Potter.  
 

Sirius, of course, was smirking, as that is what Sirius does best. “What do you suppose that means?”  
 

With a small lopsided smile Remus replied “Obviously it means that our dear friend James is a lot more interesting than Charms.”  
 

Suddenly James looked accusingly at Remus and Sirius; he could obviously feel someone’s eyes on him.   
 

Even though Remus took offence to this Sirius made his most innocent face and then grinned, pointing over to Lily who was still staring. Frowning with confusion James swapped his gaze to the red head.  
 

For a second Lily and James caught each others eyes.   
 

BANG!  
 

“Oh crap Lily!” shouted the girl sat on her right.   
 

“Oh God, I’m so sorry Jade. I er…wasn’t concentrating…”  
 

Remus and Sirius sat chuckling together as Lily embarrassedly cleared away the spilt ink and James sat looking incredibly confused, if not a little flushed…  


\------

“I mean, things change all the time. Look at me!”  
 

Lily gave James the most sceptical look she could muster.  
 

“I’ve changed loads since I was sixteen!”  
 

“You’re only seventeen now!” she replied as she rolled her eyes deliberately.  
 

“Exactly. Just look at how much of a pest I used to be to you.” he said, as if it explained everything.  
 

“Ha.” said Lily, muttering quietly “But you only did that to annoy me…and Severus…”  
 

James instantly frowned, his head tipping slightly to the side like a curious animal. “Is that really what you think? That all that was just for Snivellus’ benefit?”  
 

Keeping her head down Lily gazed up at him guardedly. “Well it was, wasn’t it?”  
 

“No.” he replied, astonished. “Snape didn’t figure in that at all!”  
 

A pink twinge was creeping up Lily’s cheeks rapidly. “So you weren’t pestering me to get his back up?”  
 

“No! I pestered you because…well err…because…you know…” He turned a lovely shade of crimson which only happened when Lily was around. “But never because of him.”  
 

“Oh.” said Lily quietly, not knowing what else to say. Had she gotten it all wrong?  
 

The silence that followed was easily time stopping…  


\---------

“Come on Prongs! What about fifth year?”  
 

James automatically shuddered with the embarrassment of the memory. “Look, Moony…”  
 

“No James, you look. Why deny it?”  
 

“Why are you so bothered?” asked James accusingly, an obvious affront rising in his face.  
 

“Listen, if you like her still then why don’t you…”  
 

“What?!” asked James heatedly. “Why don’t I what, Moony?! Ruin everything? Turn back time and make life unbearable for…well just about everyone?!”  
 

“But Prongs…”  
 

“No Remus. Just…leave it alright. We’re friends. Ok?”  
 

Remus couldn’t help but think James looked a little disappointed and defeated by this and watched his friend walk away slightly slumped over.   
 

\---------  
 

Transfiguration is tolerable at the best of times in Sirius’ opinion. He gets bored very easily, especially when he’s figured out how to do what Professor McGonagall has asked of him…like now.  
 

“What do you reckon would happen if I accidentally made the words ‘Potter and Evans, sitting in a tree’ appear on the board?” he whispered to Peter who was sat next to him with his eyes glazed over slightly.  
 

“I think she’d have a fit.”   
 

“Do you think it would be a bit more interesting than what’s going on now?” asked Sirius slyly.  
 

Peter shrugged. “Your funeral…I’m not being a pole bearer. You’re a heavy twat.”  
 

“Are you calling me fat?” asked Sirius, highly affronted.  
 

“I just might be.” muttered Peter as he shifted slightly out of reach of his friend.  
 

“You Wormtail…” said Sirius flatly as he pointed his quill at him, “…are getting entirely to big for your boots. You know that?”  
 

“I am aware of that thanks.”   
 

Before Sirius could hit back with a scathing comment, or at least a jinx, Professor McGonagall handed out the essays they’d completed in the week previous. Sirius had hated this essay and finished it quickly, electing to go and fool around on the Quidditch pitch instead. The classroom rustled with parchment and odd murmurs from students discussing their marks when all of a sudden and very loudly, sounded Sirius’ voice. “W.T.F!!!”  
 

Professor McGonagall turned around quickly. “Excuse me Mr Black?”  
 

“W.T.F?! A D?! Dreadful? Never! Professor McGonagall, W.T.F!”  
 

Everything was silent as McGonagall stared directly at Sirius with an expression a mixture of anger (at the outburst) and confusion. “I can assure you Mr Black, your essay deserved a ‘dreadful’ and if you’d like to discuss it you’ll be welcome to stay after class. Then perhaps you can explain why you have disrupted my class and then what ‘W.T.F’ means.”  
 

Suddenly Lily burst with suppressed laughter. She tried to stem it quickly and had to hide beneath the desk.  
 

“Err, no Professor McGonagall, that’s alright.” replied Sirius, trying hard not to look at Lily who had gone red with the effort of keeping a grip. “On reflection I quite agree with you…this poor excuse for an essay deserved a ‘D’. No need for explanations…”  
 

“Quite.” she said before turning curtly around and heading back to her desk to continue with the lesson.  
 

“Holy shit Padfoot.” muttered Peter out of the corner of his mouth.  
 

Sirius watched Lily shaking her head still chuckling to herself. “You know what Wormtail?” he muttered, not breaking eye contact with the red head. “This lesson is about to get a little more interesting.”  
 

“Eh?”  
 

The room began to buzz slowly with giggling and mutters and Sirius smirked at Lily who looked awfully suspicious. Turning around and scanning the board she noticed the words everyone was laughing about. Her head quickly shot round and she began to swear silently in his direction.  
 

“Padfoot, what the hell?” asked James from his other side.  
 

“What?” asked Sirius innocently.  
 

\----------

The library was quietly buzzing with busy students. The weak winter sun was penetrating the thick dust filled air which gave the large room a cosy feel. Lily was sat on a small table near a window where she was leaning over a Defence Against the Dark Arts essay, happily making her way through the points she wanted to make.  
 

Remus slid quietly into the vacant chair next to her. Not looking up she said “Hello Remus, how’s things?”  
 

Smiling Remus replied “Pleasant. And how are you?”  
 

“Alright, I guess.”  
 

Remus nodded. “Sooo…how’s your love life?”  
 

Lily looked up quickly. “Excuse me?”  
 

“Your love life? How is it? Dating anyone? Like anyone? Secret crush maybe?” he asked innocently.  
 

Sudden colour rose through her cheeks as she slowly put her quill down on the desk. “What?”  
 

Remus shrugged and there was silence until… “So, how’s James getting along as Head Boy?”  
 

Lily’s eyes widened and she was momentarily lost for words. “He…er…he’s doing good…actually.”  
 

Remus nodded as he fiddled with the edge of a book in front of him. “Good, good. I’m glad he’s taken to it. Though I don’t know if he’d have tried half as hard if you weren’t Head Girl…”  
 

Almost a lifetime passed.  
 

“Remus, what’s that supposed to mean?”  
 

He just shrugged again but didn’t answer. After a long while of Lily looking pointedly at her parchment she said, in a rather strained voice, “I’ve got loads of work to do…”  
 

“Oh yes, sorry, I’m distracting you aren’t I? Well alright, I’ll leave you to it. See you Lily.” And with that, he left…well he looked like he left but really he went to stand behind a bookcase and watch her reaction with a smug smile which he seemed to be doing more since he’d been with Sirius. He’d known there was more to Lily and James…he’d known that she liked him…  


\------

“Where is Wormtail?” asked Remus in a bored voice as he picked a piece of fluff off Sirius’ jumper.  
 

“He went to get me a book from the library.” replied James in the same bored tone.  
 

Remus rolled his eyes. “You know Peter is a person, not a house elf.”  
 

“Couldn’t tell by looking at him.” muttered Sirius.  
 

James sniggered slightly but stopped when Remus looked pointedly at him. “He offered to get it for me. Why should I go if he wants to?”  
 

“Because…”  
 

“Hey guys!” shouted Peter as he rounded the corner waving a big book above his head. “Prongs! I got it!”   
 

James nodded and avoided Sirius’ eye. “Thanks Pete.”  
 

As Peter rushed over he tripped over his shoelace and landed flat on his face, the book somehow managing to land on his head. “I’m alright!” he said hastily, lifting his arm.  
 

There was a moment of quiet before everybody burst out laughing. “Wormtail you have to be the clumsiest person alive!” laughed James as he helped his friend off the floor.  
 

“The most entertaining!” howled Sirius who was being held up by Remus.   
 

“Err, thanks…I err think.”   


\-----

“Hey Lily what do you think of Hayley Brushel?” asked Sirius loudly at the breakfast table.  
 

Lily turned from her Daily Prophet and shrugged. “Why?”  
 

Shooting James a mischievous look which always meant trouble, Sirius replied “Coz word has it our good friend James here is in there…we just wanted a girls opinion.”  
 

The silence was palpable.  
 

Sirius was looking at Lily interestedly, as if waiting for a reply, Remus was shaking his head and eyeing his boyfriend with disbelief, James looked completely flabbergasted, if not a little angry and Peter was looking from one person to another with anticipation.  
 

For the longest time she stayed silent and unreadable until everybody’s eyes were on her. Then calmly (if not with a bit more colour in her cheeks) she turned to look at James and in a steady voice said “Hayley’s a nice girl.” then she gathered up her paper and walked quickly from the hall.  
 

“What the hell did you say that for?!” asked James who was very obviously angry now.  
 

Sirius shrugged. “Just testing the water mate.”  
 

“Testing the..? Testing the..? You arse!” said James roughly as he stood quickly, grabbing his bag.  
 

“What?! She was jealous; I thought you’d be pleased by that?”  
 

“Sirius…” muttered Remus quietly. “You’ll never learn the art of subtlety, will you?”  
 

“We’re seventeen…who needs subtlety?”   
 

“You’re bloody unbelievable Padfoot!” growled James before leaving almost as fast as Lily had.

“Well I think I’ll take that as a compliment!” said Sirius as he watched his best friend leave in a huff.  
 

“I don’t think it was meant as one.” said Peter quietly.  
   


 


	3. 3. So They Decide to Give a Helping Hand

** 3\. So They Decide To Give A Helping Hand. **

  
**** ****

Sirius sat over his boyfriend, clumsily fiddling with the buttons on the front of his shirt.  
 

“It’s so damn obvious though, don’t you think?”  
 

Sirius nodded absently, wondering why these buttons were giving him trouble today; he usually had no problem getting Remus’ shirt off.  
 

“I mean, who do they think they’re kidding, except for themselves?” continued Remus who had his hands behind his head and was looking up at the canopy above his bed, not taking a blind bit of notice as to what Sirius was doing.  
 

“Probably…” mumbled Sirius who’d given up on the buttons and had started to try and tug the shirt from Remus’ trousers.  
 

“I don’t even know why Prongs is denying it. Does he not remember fifth year, when he spent most of his time trying to impress her?”  
 

Suddenly Sirius lost his temper; the shirt was just not cooperating with him. “Look Moony! I know you wolves have strange mating habits but if you’re trying to seduce me then it’s not working.”  
 

Remus raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me Pad’s?”  
 

“I’m _trying_ to get this bloody shirt off you!”  
 

Looking down Remus pulled his most innocent face (the one he learnt from Sirius) and said “Oh right. I’ll take the impenetrable charm off it then.”  
 

All Sirius could do was stare for a few seconds before rolling off and laying next to Remus with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. “Screw you.”  
 

Repressing a chuckle Remus rolled to his side and propped his head up on a hand. “Now, now Padfoot…don’t be like that.”  
 

Sirius just huffed.  
 

“Paddy…” crooned Remus softly, running a finger along the opening of Sirius’ shirt, unhooking one of his buttons with ease “Paddy I’m sorry.”  
 

“No your not.”  
 

Remus thought for a moment before speaking. “No, you right, I’m not but I do think you look dam sexy when you pout.”  
 

“I am not pouting.” said Sirius with as much dignity as he could muster whilst pouting.  
 

“Of course you’re not.”  
 

Silence.  
 

Remus rolled back into his original position and let out a breath. “I reckon it’s going to take forever for them two to buck their ideas up.”  
 

“Will you just shut up about it?!” said Sirius sharply.  
 

“Excuse me?” asked Remus pointedly.  
 

“I’m on top of you, in our dorm, our _empty_ dorm, trying to get your shirt off so we can shag like the dogs we are and you can’t talk about anything but Prongs and Evans!”  
 

“Does it not get on your wick?”  
 

“That you can’t seem to stop thinking about my best mate? Yes, I’d say it does!”   
 

Remus couldn’t help but smile now. “Sirius Black! Are you jealous?”  
 

Sirius didn’t even respond, he just pouted some more.  
 

“Padfoot.” muttered Remus as he rolled back onto his side and ran a hand over his boyfriend’s chest. “You’re adorable, you really are.”  
 

“Shut your face, adorable!” exclaimed Sirius loudly.  
 

“Do you not want to see Prongs happy?” asked Remus, changing tact.  
 

Sirius shrugged moodily. “’Suppose…”  
 

“Me too.” agreed Remus, nodding slightly. “And don’t you think he’d be blissfully happy if he and Lily got together?”  
 

“’Suppose…”  
 

“Well then, that’s settled. We’re going to get them two together.” announced Remus as he sat up.  
 

“Eh?”  
 

“Well they’re both too stubborn to do it themselves.”  
 

Sirius looked at him sceptically. “That sounds a little too frilly for me.”  
 

“Come on Sirius, you know they’ll both never admit to fancying each other! James physically cringes when you mention fifth year and Lily…well you know she wouldn’t entertain the idea!”  
 

Huffing loudly Sirius sat up too. “Alright, alright if it makes you happy then I’ll help.”  
 

“How noble of you.” muttered Remus.  
 

“Well, I am the heir of the ‘Noble House of Black’, didn’t you know!” exclaimed Sirius, with his hand on his puffed out chest.  
 

“Shame you’ll not be making any little heir’s of your own.”  
 

Sirius grinned. “They’ll have to rely on Reg; little shit.”  
 

Remus was quiet for a few moments before saying “Even though it’s physically impossible for either of us to conceive, do you reckon we should partake in the making process, just in case. I’m sure you mother would love a half-breed grandchild…”  
 

“I think it would be a crime if we denied her.” agreed Sirius nodding slowly before pouncing on Remus and ravaging his neck accordingly. After a few minutes of hungry hands Sirius sat back up and pouted again.  
 

“What now?” asked Remus who looked a little flushed through the cheeks.  
 

“The impenetrable charm Moony.” replied Sirius sternly.  
 

Remus grinned before grabbing his wand and muttering the counter charm. “There you go.”  
“Brilliant!” said Sirius loudly as he all but ripped the shirt open.   


 


	4. 4. The Disasterous Mistletoe Incident

** 4\. The Disastrous Mistletoe Incident **

This Chapter of My Life Shall Be Henceforth Known as the Disastrous Mistletoe Incident – By James Potter  


Mistletoe should be banned.  
 

Outlawed.  
 

Stripped from the tree’s and burned so stupid sappy inept teenage boys such as me cannot make complete and utter fools of themselves.  
 

It wasn’t my fault! Honest!   
 

It’s this stupid Christmas cheer, or whatever. It does things. And then there’s the cold weather that makes some girls cheeks and noses turn an adorable shade of pink.  
 

And there it was again – the sappy mumblings of a confused and very embarrassed teenage boy/almost man.   
 

I should never be allowed to become a man after what happened.   
 

I really shouldn’t share this incident with anyone and bury it so deep within my mind that I’ll never ever recollect it…ever. Hopefully Lily feels the same way. Hopefully she’s as embarrassed and mortified as I am and won’t tell a living soul.  
 

Hopefully.  
 

Here’s how it went…  
 

Prefects meeting. Absolutely boring as hell! But that wasn’t a surprise. There was a brief moment of hilarity when one of the fifth year Slytherin’s, who looks like a bit of a penguin, went to sit down and someone moved his chair. Fell – straight – on – his –arse!!! It was hilarious! Even Lily stifled a chuckle, I saw her.  
 

So after the meeting (almost fell asleep) it was time to leave…nothing weird there. I asked Lily if she was walking back to the common room, she said yes…nothing outwardly obscure in this little scenario. But wait! With the magic of hindsight I realize that this was my first mistake. Oh hindsight…why do you mock me so?!  
 

Now at this point I’ll set the scene for you…  
 

It’s evening; a little too late to say early evening but a bit to early to say late evening, so just evening. The moon out of the window is half full (not half empty as Moony would have us all believe), the candles are lulling away on the walls along the empty corridors and we’re footeling (yes footeling) along at a snails pace on our way back to Gryffindor common room.    
 

Having just come from the most boring meeting in the world, in my defence, my mind hadn’t woken up yet. We were quiet for a while; really sometimes when it’s just me and Lily I don’t like to break the mood by saying things…I’ve a tendency to say ridiculously stupid things in her presence. After a bit she asked me about quidditch practice which surprised me because usually Lily completely switches off whenever anything to do with quidditch is mentioned but as surprised as I was I happened to think I did quite well with my reply. In hindsight (there’s that bloody hindsight again!) I think she was probably just humouring me…damn you hindsight!!!    
 

We were at the fifth floor when it happened.   
 

I’m never going to the fifth floor ever again, I swear.  
 

Firstly, my shoe lace just happened to untie itself; I do believe my shoes are conspiring against me. You can’t blame me for stopping to tie it, right? Well as I bent over I forgot Lily had been walking behind me and ‘CABLAM’!!! She hit the floor in slow motion.  
 

I fully understand why she cried. It did sound and look like it hurt. And all credit to the girl, she was laughing too. So there we were, both on the floor, Lily wiping tears away from under her eyes, me wondering if she’s in need of a hug or a calming charm (secretly hoping for the former rather than the latter).  
 

Little did we know that we were being hunted by the evil that is mistletoe!   
 

I said something like “Do you want me to rub it better?” before I realized she’d fallen on her hip/backside…much embarrassed muttering and avoiding eye contact followed and she declined, obviously.   
 

That’s when we looked up.  
 

The look of sheer panic/horror on her face when she saw the mistletoe said it all. I mean, she completely panicked. It was worse than when Slughorn tricked her into thinking she’d forgotten about a very important Potion test in which she’d be chucked out of the NEWT class if she got anything less that 95%...ah that was funny…but I digress… _that’s_ how much she panicked.  
 

In all her haste, and mine, we both stood very quickly. As you can imagine, the sight of mistletoe above the girl I’ve...(if I’m going to be brutally honest with myself)…kind of had a crush on since I was about fourteen.   
 

This is when chaos ensued.  
 

On our way to standing Lily managed to stab the heel of her shoe on to my foot which by the way – HURTS!!! So I bent over fully intending to grab my foot and hop around, but as she’s littler than me my chin connected with her head and – PAIN!   
 

It hurt. It really, really hurt; which is probably why she started crying again. She tried to shrug it off, I could see her shrugging and pretending like her eyes weren’t streaming but the wetness and grimacing kind of gave her away. In the end she ended up resting her forehead against my shoulder and I had no idea what I was supposed to do; stand and let her lean on me, pat her on the arm or hug her until she stopped ‘not’ crying.   
 

I tried to hug her but at that moment she pulled away, so in the end my hands found the tops of her arms and I automatically held them…I know, I know…hindsight! Not the most comforting position in the world and probably _the_ most awkward.   
 

Now I’m not going to say that she looked stunning in the candle light. That would be a lie. Her eyes were red and there was a little bit of black beneath one (I’m guessing some sort of make-up like stuff?), her hair was falling out of her pony tail where she’d rubbed the top of her head and she was sniffing a lot.   
 

But never the less as we stood there in that half lit corridor, both in pain and her looking…not perfect (dare I say awful?) with the mistletoe looming overhead it was just too tempting.  
 

I have no idea if she was going to kiss me back; I never got to find out.  
 

Her foot connected with my foot once again and I had no idea how much damage her heel had done until that moment. I automatically yelped and tried to lift my foot up to grab it. Because we were stood so close I accidentally kneed her in the stomach…not the way to woo someone!  
 

Merlin do I feel bad about the whole thing. She grabbed her stomach, stumbled backward and mumbled something strained that I didn’t hear because I was apologizing too much and stumbling forwards.   
 

Why the hell do these things have to happen to me and Lily? Why – the – hell!?!  
 

By the time she’d ran off I’d already decided that I could never look her in the eye again and that this ‘incident’ would never be spoken about, not even to Sirius, and I tell that bloke everything!   
 

I’m just so completely inept. That’s what it boils down to.   
 

But it’s all the mistletoe’s fault, I swear.  
 

I bet she hates me.   


\------------

My Very Painful, Extremely Embarrassing but Mostly Confusing Walk Back to GryffindorTower – By Lily Evans  
 

I can’t believe I cried.  
 

He must think I’m the biggest ninny in the world.  
 

And what was the mistletoe thing all about anyway? I’m sure he was moving in but then, why? He’s not interested in me anymore…  
 

Oh God I’m so confused.  
 

Before ‘it’ all happened he was being all quiet and moody like he sometimes is. I even began a conversation about quidditch just to make sure he wasn’t angry at me for anything. He seemed enthusiastic enough after that but I wasn’t really listening, just pretending too; quidditch bores me.  
 

Then all of a sudden he ducked down in front of me and I didn’t see until I fell arse over tit and crashed onto the floor. Then I cried.   
 

I do it an awful lot; fall and hurt myself but try and laugh it off and eventually start crying because really I’m in pain. Never in front of James before though. Damn.  
 

So there we were, both on the floor, both a little confused as to what was happening. I’m pretty sure James didn’t know if I was really hurt or just plain crazy but I didn’t get the chance to find out as at that moment we both looked up and saw the mistletoe.   
 

Mistletoe!  
 

Now usually mistletoe doesn’t get me worked up. I’m fine about the whole kissing people under the mistletoe thing. I usually swerve round, give a swift peck on the cheek, smile brightly and go on my way…  
 

This time I was a bit off colour and flustered. Not only had I just cried/laughed after falling over him but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that this had been a set up. But then the logical side of my brain (the one who has nothing to do with ‘that time of the month’ or secretly _wanting_ to stand under mistletoe with _certain_ people) wondered why he’d use such a violent way of halting me in the first place. This leads me to think that he didn’t plan it and if he didn’t plan it then why do these sorts of things always have to happen to me?! And why does _he_ have to be involved?!  
 

I tried to stand up as fast as I could but so did he and that only ended up with me standing on his foot. It looked as though it hurt though and I would have said sorry if it hadn’t been for the fact he then brought his chin down very hard on my head!   
 

Now I’m no brain surgeon but I know how to go about taking advantage of certain situations and we were most definitely doing everything we could to muck this up.   
 

I cried again, of course, and just had to lean on him for support otherwise I’d have fallen over again; hitting your head on the underside of someone’s chin really does hurt. It was very awkward though. He just stood there, not doing anything for what felt like forever so I gained my composure and straightened. I must have looked shaky because he grabbed hold of my arms; I’m guessing he didn’t want me to fall over again too.  
 

And then it happened.  
 

The moment.  
 

I hate it when these moments happen and I love it all at the same time. I’m not sure if it’s just ‘the moment’ or if it’s him, as I’ve never actually gotten into that situation with anyone other than him before, which strikes me as odd. It’s that moment of scary trepidation just before you kiss someone…well when you think you’re going to be kissed, anyway.   
 

In my complete nervousness and awkwardness I shifted my feet and accidentally stood on his foot (the same foot I stabbed with my heel earlier) and it must have still hurt as he went to grab it. Unfortunately I was in the way. I’ve never been kneed in the stomach before but it’s safe to say it hurts. After this I ran away, just in case he decided to do anything else to me, say like…give me a black eye?   
 

And now I really don’t want to see him again and _obliviate_ the whole fiasco out of both our minds. I’ve never been more embarrassed before in my life! I’ve decided that I shall not acknowledge that it ever happened when I inevitably see him next; it’s always the way to go when it comes to James Potter.   
 

Denial…fabulous.  


\-------------------

What Really Happened on ‘That’ Winters Night Regarding the Mistletoe –  
 

Plan ‘mistletoe’ was just about to commence and Sirius was getting fidgety. “What if they don’t come this way?” he whispered to his accomplice who was huddled up quite close to him in the little alcove behind a suit of armour off a corridor on the fifth floor.  
 

“Sshhh Padfoot, they’re heading this way, don’t worry.” whispered Remus in return.  
 

“Mooony…” whined Sirius quietly. “I’m bored.”  
 

“For the love of…Sirius? Not here.”  
 

“Hmm?” asked Sirius who’d become distracted by his accomplices neck.  
 

“Sirius.” warned Remus, semi-sternly as shivers ran down his spine. “Padfoot stop it. What if they walk straight past?”  
 

“Would it be such a bad thing?”  
 

“Project mistletoe?” asked Remus pointing to the floating bunch of mistletoe hovering above in the corridor. “We’ve been planning this forever.”  
 

“For the afternoon, Moony, we’ve been planning this for the afternoon.” answered Sirius with a roll of his eyes. “We could easily do this another night if we became momentarily indisposed…”  
 

“No Padfoot. Now Sshhh…they’re almost here.” Remus gestured to the map in front of him before stowing it in his pocket and putting his finger to his lips.  
 

Soft muffled footsteps were heard getting slowly louder as James and Lily meandered down the corridor. Remus levitated the mistletoe out into the corridor but suddenly realized that neither James nor Lily were going to look up and notice it.  
 

“You need to get them to stop Moony.” whispered Sirius in his ear.  
 

“How?” asked Remus desperately, thinking his plan was going to flop.  
 

Sirius tutted quietly and took his wand from his waistband waving it in the direction of James’ feet.   
 

Almost in slow motion all Sirius and Remus could do was watch as James ducked down right in front of Lily who tripped right over James, landing with a sickening thump on the floor.  
 

“Pad!” hissed Remus angrily.  
 

“What? I didn’t make him leg her over! He did that.”   
 

“You don’t think things through…”  
 

“Sshhh Moony, just put up the mistletoe will you?”   
 

They watched James apologize and Lily cry and both physically cringed when James said “Do you want me to rub it better?”  
 

“They’ve spotted it!” whispered Sirius excitedly, then both began laughing profusely when their friends began to bumble about embarrassedly and couldn’t help but laugh harder when Lily it her head on the underside of James’ chin.  
 

“Hold up, here we go…” muttered Remus as he calmed his laughter. “Come on Prongs she’s practically begging you for a hug…just put your arms round her man! …Ah, now that looks bloody awkward! You would have thought that he could have at least tried not to act like an unsure fool after we’ve set up the whole mistletoe thing…”  
 

“Wait there Moony…I think they’re gonna kiss! Do we jump out and yell surprise or gotcha?” asked Sirius excitedly.  
 

“Neither!” muttered Remus on tenterhooks waiting for what was surely inevitable…  
 

“Oooh…”  
 

James had just kneed Lily in the stomach.  
 

“How the hell..?”  
 

Lily fled the scene clutching her stomach and grimacing.  
 

“Oh my god, Prongs is crap! Prongs. Is. Crap! He’s hopeless with girls! That’s hilarious…and sad of course.” whispered Sirius, more to himself than to Remus.  
 

“That was…unbelievable…” muttered Remus as he watched James absently rubbing his foot before wandering in the same direction Lily had escaped.  
 

After a few seconds of silence Sirius exhaled loudly. “Sooo…what do you wanna do now?”  
 

Remus felt Sirius put a hand round him and lay his palm flat on his stomach. “Oh, I dunno. Did you have something in mind?”  
 

“I’ll have it in hand in a sec!”  
    


 


	5. 5. Sluggy's Crimbo Shinndig

** 5\. Sluggy’s Crimbo Shinndig! **

  
**** ****

Slughorn’s Christmas party was legendry and everyone who was anyone wanted to be there. Remus didn’t really care. He hated those sorts of things but Sirius was a member of ‘The Slug Club’ and was going and wanted his boyfriend there.   
 

This was the plan as there’s always a plan.  
 

Because Sirius had an invite he would go without a date. He decided this was very acceptable and if anyone had anything to say about it he’d have something to say to them back. James had an invite too and, being a really good mate to Sirius (and mainly because he couldn’t think of anyone he’d want to take who was available) went alone also (or ‘stag’ as he decided with a rather smug chuckle).  
 

James was in two minds about the situation with Remus. On one hand he was going with Lily (as she had an invite too) and therefore stopping _him_ from going with her, but on the other hand he was stopping other guys from going with Lily also.  
 

Still; at least they were all going (minus Peter who couldn’t find anyone who would be willing to take him) and would have a good laugh.   
 

 Lily looked amazing, which wasn’t a surprise, though James’ face was an absolute picture when he saw her. Sirius wouldn’t stop laughing all the way down there and James was very flustered by the time they entered the party venue.   
 

Things progressed nicely for the evening. Lily and James avoided dancing with one another successfully even though she spent most of the night on the dance floor.  
 

“What do you reckon?” asked Sirius quietly into his boyfriend’s ear at the drinks table.  
 

“About what?” asked Remus.  
 

“About them two? How on Earth are we gonna get them to dance with one another? Or at least chat enough to maybe flirt a little?”  
 

Remus watched Lily laughing as she was being whirled around by Professor Slughorn who looked rather ruddy faced then caught sight of James stood chatting to a few of the Hufflepuff members of the Slug Club who were enthusiastic Quidditch fans. “Mistletoe?”  
 

“That’s not funny Moony.” deadpanned Sirius over his goblet of mead.   
 

Remus shrugged as he smiled at Lily as she twirled past. “It wasn’t a terrible idea. It was Prongs who mucked it up.”  
 

Sirius decided not to answer, knowing it would get him into yet another pointless argument about how to get James and Lily together. “How about we just leave?”  
 

Turning his head quickly Remus studied him. “Just leave?”  
 

“Yeah. We could just walk out and leave them to it.”  
 

“Do you think that is a good idea?” asked Remus sceptically.   
 

“Do you have a better one?”  
 

For a while Remus tried to think of something better but he just couldn’t. “Where will we go?”   
 

At this Sirius wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in close, his voice husky. “Where would you like to go?”  
 

Remus’ back automatically straightened. “Pad’s, not around people.”  
 

“Come on then.” said Sirius suddenly. “Let’s get out of here.”   
 

James caught hold of Sirius before they could make their get away. “Where are you going?”  
 

Slapping his best mate on the shoulder he said “For a shag mate. It’s all up to you now. Be a gentleman and make sure Lily gets back to her dorm nice and safe, won’t you? Moony says give her a goodbye kiss for him.” He winked and then left James stood open mouthed.  
 

\---- 

At the end of the night Lily teetered painfully over to where James was sat staring into his bottle of butterbeer. “Heya James, where’s my date?”  
 

He looked up quickly and watched her plonk herself into the chair next to him. “He left, about an hour ago.”  
 

“What?”  
 

“He left; him and Padfoot.”  
 

Lily frowned slightly.   
 

“You were dancing.” James said quietly, silently adding ‘with everyone but me’.  
 

“Oops…he wasn’t mad about that, was he?”  
 

James shrugged. “Why should he be? He was with Sirius, wasn’t he?”  
 

She nodded and sighed as she rubbed her foot. “I think I’m just about danced out.”  
 

There was a silence for a minute or two in which James kept his eyes on his bottle and Lily watched Professor McGonagall attempt to look as though she’d not had too much mead, though it was obvious she had.  
 

Finally Lily couldn’t take the silence anymore and stood, wincing slightly because of the pain on the underside of her feet. “Right, well I think I’m going to call it a night.”  
 

James watched her for a second before standing. “Me too. I’ve been instructed to escort you back to the dorm anyway.”  
 

Raising her eyebrows Lily looked him up and down. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”  
 

He realised how that must have sounded and tried to back track. “No, what I meant was that…well before they left they…I only stayed so you wouldn’t be walking back on your own.”  
 

“I’m quite capable of walking by myself. I think I just about remember how to do it.” she answered indignantly before turning to leave.  
 

James followed straight away. “You’ve got the wrong end of the broomstick Lily. All I meant was that…”  
 

“That you’ve been left the task of being my chaperone and you’re not all that happy about it.” she said over her shoulder as she paced down the corridor quickly.  
 

“Will you let me explain woman, Merlin help me.” he replied exasperatedly. “I didn’t mind walking you back. In fact, we’re going the same way so it’s no trouble.”  
 

“Oh how I’d hate to be trouble.” she muttered.  
 

This was not how James had wanted this to go. Sat watching Lily dance with various partners during the last hour he’d pictured their walk back to the Head dorms as being quite a pleasant stroll in the moonlit corridors (hopefully avoiding any renegade mistletoe).  
 

Suddenly Lily stopped. “Oh this is ridiculous!” and she pulled one of her high heeled shoes off then put her bare foot on the cold flagstone floor. “Oh my God that’s good.” She then proceeded to do the same with the other, shuffling her now shoeless feet a little with a look of relief on her face.  
 

“Better?” asked James hopefully.  
 

She looked at him a moment and nodded. “Yeah.”  
 

“Look Lily, can’t I just walk with you back to the dorm? Nobody’s chaperoning you or questioning your ability to walk. I’m just…I’m just afraid of the dark and would appreciate the company.” he finished with his charming smile.  
 

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Ok, sorry, sure. If you’re such a scaredy cat then I’ll walk with you.”  
 

“Oh thank Merlin!” he exclaimed with a smirk. “I wouldn’t have known what to do if you’d have said no. Usually I have a big strong Padfoot to make me feel safe but now he’s off with Moony” (here he pulled a face) “I’ve been left to fend for myself.”  
 

Lily couldn’t help but smile at him and moved to his side. “I’ll make a deal with you then Mr Potter.”  
 

“Yes Miss Evans?”  
 

“I’ll fight off all the bogie men who roam the castle at night and you can hold me up, because my feet really, _really_ hurt.”  
 

“I knew you couldn’t walk on your own!” he said happily as he offered her his arm. When she took it he began to walk. “You’ve got a deal there, but you’ll have to explain what bogie men are...”  
 

It took a while to get back to the portrait of the troll that guarded the Head Dorms.   
 

“I can’t believe I’ve got to put up with you boys all Christmas holidays.” said Lily as if it was the worst thing in the world.  
 

“That’s what you get for thinking you were going to have a quiet two weeks.” he answered with a smile. “Yellow submarine.” The troll grunted and slid along the wall revealing the archway into their common room.   
 

They made their way into the room and Lily finally let go of James in order to put her shoes near the fire where all their shoes were kept. James sat very heavily in a large armchair and let out a long huff. “I’m done in.”  
 

Lily smiled. “Yeah, me too. I’m going to go to bed.”  
 

He looked up “Already?”  
 

“James, its half past twelve.”  
 

“But there’s no school tomorrow. There’s no school for a fortnight actually.”  
 

She shook her head and began to make her way to the door to her bedroom. “What can I say? I’m obviously getting old.”   
 

James stood quickly, in order to catch her before she disappeared. “Ok, well err, thanks for walking me back. Those bogie men sound creepy.”  
 

She shrugged and smiled up at him. “That’s ok. Honestly I doubt I’d have gotten back on my own; with my feet how they are and all.” There was silence as they both stood facing one another for a minute. “Right, well I’ll be going then.” said Lily finally.  
 

“Yeah.” replied James, not moving aside but looking as though he was deciding something.  
 

“What’s wrong?” asked Lily, thinking the twitch in his arm was something other than his nervousness.   
 

“It’s just that Moony…well before he left her err…asked me to give you this.” And he leant over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.  
 

Lily stood stock still, her eyes open a little wider than usual and watched James straighten up. “Right.” Her cheeks were very red but thankfully the lights were dim. “Well then…err I’ll err…” she pointed to her bedroom door.  
 

“Yeah.” said James, finally stepping aside to let her pass, slightly disappointed by her reaction.   
 

She made her way silently to her room but looked back at the last second to see James looking worried, running a hand through his hair. “James.”  
 

“Yes?” he asked, raising his head in surprise.  
 

“Night.”  
 

A smile spread across his face. “Night Lily.”  
 

And that was when James finally decided ‘just friends’ would definitely never be enough.   
    


 


	6. 6. Frozen Lakes Are Not For Swimming In

** 6\. Frozen Lakes Are Not For Swimming In. **

  
**** ****

“LILY!”   
 

“AAHHH!”  
 

Splash.  
 

For only one second James was torn between ripping Mulciber apart and diving into the lake. 

He chose diving.  
 

The water was freezing, obviously, and he made his way slowly through the thin layer of ice covering its surface near the shore. He tried to perform a warming charm on himself but was sure his hands were shaking too much. When he got to the place where Lily was flailing around, her lips blue and her face purest white he grabbed hold of her robes and dragged her to him. He wasn’t sure if her legs wrapping round him made him feel colder or not. But that didn’t matter just then.   
 

Must get to the shore.  
 

When they were finally able to stand and drag themselves out of the below freezing water Peter hit them both with a multitude of heating charms and conjured blankets. If Peter Pettigrew knew how to do one thing it was conjure a blanket!  
 

Lily shook from head to toe and wasn’t really aware of what was going on around her. She felt heavy and cold. Very, very cold. Then she felt black.  
 

James would have caught her as she collapsed but his movements seemed to be in slow motion. He watched, horrified, as her head connected with a frozen rock and a trickle of red came from it, staining the snow slightly.  
 

Peter came to the rescue once again and struggled as he picked her up off the floor, feeling a little queasy at the sight of the blood; Peter didn’t like blood.  
 

It seemed to take a lifetime to get back up to the castle. Peter was joined by Remus who had uncharacteristically punched Mulciber square in the face as soon as James had ran into the lake. Mulciber hadn’t had the chance to hit back as Sirius then launched himself at him too, flattening him to the snow covered ground and ultimately cursing him unconscious.  
 

\------

The hospital wing was a hustle of activity when the small band of Gryffindor’s finally made it there. Lily was still unconscious, James was shaking violently and Mulciber was still by the lake.  
 

“Hold still Mr Potter!” barked the matron Madame Pomfrey as she tried to pour a sticky black looking liquid down his throat.  
 

“L-L-L-Lily…is sh-sh-she..?”  
 

“Lily’s gonna be fine mate, don’t worry. Madame P’s got it sorted. Just drink your potion.” said Sirius who had taken over trying to dispel the liquid into his best mate.  
 

In a bed further up the hospital wing, Lily was being revived and looked as though she was fitting, though really she was just shaking so bad.  
 

“B-b-b-but she’s…”  
 

“Prongs! Come on man, drink this or I’ll hex you!”   
 

James gave in and sloppily drank the potion his best friend gave him. It was like drinking liquid chilli and he felt like his head was going to come off.  
 

Mulciber had been threatening to do something like this for weeks. He’d been shooting snide comments to James all week. Ever since James caught him hexing a 3rd year Hufflepuff, at the castle for Christmas on her own, and shopped him into Slughorn for punishment he had been threatening to wipe the smug smile off James’s face. Well now James was definitely not smiling.  
 

After about fifteen minutes of Madame Pomfrey tending to Lily behind a screen she came out looking a little hassled but never the less, happy. “She’s going to be alright.” she said quickly, before anyone had chance to ask. “Miss Evans will need to stay here and keep very warm for the evening but she should be fine by tomorrow. She would have been alright today if she hadn’t have been hexed. I do trust the culprit will be reported?”  
 

“Oh he’ll be reported alright.” muttered James dangerously. He’d tried to stand when the matron had appeared but found his legs wouldn’t let him.  
 

“We’ll make sure of it.” said Remus loudly, placating Pomfrey.  
 

When Madam Pomfrey left the Gryffindor’s Sirius turned to James angrily. “What the hell did you run in there for?!”  
 

James sat a moment with his mouth open slightly. “Unless you hadn’t noticed, Lily had been dropped in a frozen lake!”  
 

“That still doesn’t mean you had to run in after her! The water must be below freezing!”  
 

“You know, I’d not noticed that.” growled James.  
 

“So you thought you’d just run in there after her? Instead of having one freezing Gryffindor you’d thought you’d make it two?”   
 

“What the hell’s your problem Padfoot?!”  
 

Sirius seemed to battle with himself before he answered. “Had it never crossed your mind to get her out using magic? Summoning her or something?”  
 

As James tried to think of a retort Remus coughed slightly and said quietly “Actually, you can’t summon people, remember.”  
 

“Yeah, you can’t summon people!” repeated James.  
 

“You didn’t know that. You just didn’t think and ran after her. How stupid can you be? Running into a frozen lake before thinking about magic!”   
 

James was staring at his best friend with a scowl on his face. “I just reacted. I didn’t really have time to think! You heard Pomfrey, Lily had been hexed first. She’d have drowned.”  
 

“ _You_ could have drowned you ass.” replied Sirius angrily.  
 

“If you think I was going to stand and do nothing while Lily _died_ you’re the ass.”  
 

“You’d die trying to save her?” asked Sirius accusingly.  
 

“Again and again!”  
 

“Boys! Please, keep your voices down! This is a hospital wing not a common room.” said Pomfrey sternly as she bustled over. “If you want to brawl I’d thank you if you’d do it somewhere else.”  
 

Sirius was staring moodily at the floor as James crossed his arms and kept his eyes fixed on the bed. Peter was giving Remus that pleading look, asking him to make everything better.  
 

Remus just rolled his eyes and went to look behind the screen. “Hi Lily, how are you feeling?”  
 

“’kay.”  
 

“Tough luck having to stay here on Christmas Eve…bummer.”  
 

“I kn-know.”  
 

James’ head snapped up and he almost sprang from the bed as if he’d not just been for a dunk in ice cold water. “Lily, are you alright? I didn’t realize you were awake. Are you ok? Do you need anything?”  
 

“I-I’m f-fine.” she whispered with a slight smile on her still blue lips. “J-just f-feel c-c-cold.”   
 

Sirius appeared. “Mulciber’s gonna pay for this Lily, don’t worry about that.”  
 

“D-don’t b-be a…” she began but couldn’t continue and shuddered, trying to wrap herself in her blanket tighter.  
 

James automatically strode forward and sat next to her, tucking the blanket around her and then hugging her fiercely. “How’s that?” he asked quietly as he looked down, staying where he was with his arms wrapped round her.  
 

“Th-thanks.”    
 

Remus shifted from one foot to the other as he felt uncomfortable watching James looking at Lily in such a way; as if the world could stop turning and he wouldn’t notice or even care. 

“Let’s go collect Mulciber and take him to McGonagall.” he said to Sirius giving him a pointed look.  
 

Sirius nodded and rubbed Lily’s foot underneath the blanket before turning to leave.  
 

“Come on Wormtail, we er…need you too.” said Remus, fully aware Peter wouldn’t cotton on and leave without him saying something.  
 

“Oh, right.” replied Peter a little too obviously, winking at Remus. “We’ll leave you two to it.”  
 

Remus successfully doffed Peter over the head when they’d left which resulted in Peter hitting the deck with all of his usual elegance (“I’m alright!” he said as he scrambled to his feet quickly and carried on as if nothing had happened).  
 

The hospital wing was silent after they’d gone as neither James nor Lily spoke for a long while. Madame Pomfrey had come out to see how they were and hadn’t reprimanded them for being in such a usually frowned upon position, just offered them both some hot cocoa to drink and left.  
 

“How are you feeling now?” asked James quietly after some time. His foot had gone numb but he was sure it was worth it.  
 

Lily nodded slightly. Her uncontrollable shaking had become a bit more controllable. “Better.”  
 

“Good.” He shifted a little so he could get a better grip around her and release his foot at the same time.  
 

After another short silence Lily quietly asked “You t-told Sirius you’d s-save me again?”  
 

James’ heart began to thump a little but he nodded all the same. “Every time.”  
 

“Thank you.” she whispered back.  
 

Unsure about what to do he leaned over slightly and kissed her on the nose (which was like a little block of ice). He didn’t manage to fully sit back up as he’d gotten stopped by her eyes which locked onto his. After a few seconds he couldn’t stand it any longer and leant back down, this time kissing Lily’s cool lips softly, his heart pounding all the time. He felt a little movement from her mouth but then heard her murmur slightly and pulled away, thinking he’d done the wrong thing. He was relieved to see her smiling.  
 

“M-my lips aren’t w-working p-properly.” she muttered as the tiniest tinge of pink spread into her porcelain white cheeks.  
 

He couldn’t help but chuckle and hug her a little tighter, kissing her forehead. “I’d best wait till they’re in full working order then, hadn’t I?”  
 

She didn’t answer, just buried herself a little further into him.  
    
   


 


	7. 7. A Quidditch Jumper Never Lies

** 7\. A Quidditch Jumper Never Lies. **

  
**** ****

“MERRY CHRISTMAS!”  
 

She almost fell off the bed with fright which resulted in riotous laughter.  
 

“Merlin Lily, you’re a wee bit jumpy for Christmas morning.” announced Sirius as he plonked himself onto her bed.  
 

“You just appeared out of nowhere!” she accused, pointing to the invisibility cloak in James’ hand. “I knew I should’ve confiscated that when I first found out about it.”  
 

James looked slightly affronted. “You’d not take it off me on Christmas day, would you?” he cocked his head to the side like a curious animal waiting for a reply.  
 

Despite the constant feeling of cold she’d been experiencing since the previous day (even with the mountains of blankets Madame Pomfrey had piled on top of her), she felt a flush begin to creep up her cheeks for no other reason than James was looking at her _like that_. “I might.”  
 

Sirius began to chuckle as he looked back and forth between the two with that smug look he’d passed onto Remus. “Come on then Lily! We’ve come to bust you out of this God forsaken place.”  
 

“Ahem.”  
 

He turned round and beamed at Madame Pomfrey who’d just walked into the room. “Good morning Madame P! Merry Christmas!”  
 

She just smiled and swept past him with a thermometer and a potion and fussed around Lily for a minute or two. “Alright Miss Evans, you can go.”  
 

“Excellent!” said Sirius happily clapping his hands together.  
 

“But you’ll have to keep very warm my dear. Stay inside won’t you? It’ll take a while until you’re well enough to stay warm on your own due to the effects of the hex so wrap up.”  
 

“Thank you.” said Lily as she slipped off the bed and smiled at the two boys. “Merry Christmas you two.”  
 

“Merry Christmas.” said James with a grin.  
 

“Hell yeah it’s a merry Christmas!” shouted Sirius as he bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly whilst opening and closing his hands.  
 

Lily eyed him with amusement before she turned to James and asked “What’s wrong with him?”  
 

“He gets like this on Christmas day. I’ve no idea why; something to do with not celebrating properly when he was a kid…so now he just goes mental for the day. He had me up at five this morning; jumping on my bed. Nuts.”  
 

“Come on Prongs! Lily! Moony and Wormtail are waiting for us. I’m gonna dress Wormtail up as a reindeer!” said Sirius excitedly as he rushed out of the hospital wing.  
 

“Why?” asked Lily with a laugh as she walked through the door James was holding open for her.  
 

“Why not?” said James as he shrugged and rolled his eyes.  


\-------

Opening her eyes slowly she smiled as her body felt the warmest it had for what seemed like forever. She yawned slightly and stretched in the restricted space she had underneath her duvet which had been dragged from her room.  
 

“Good day sleepy head.”  
 

That voice oozed through her ears like melted chocolate and made her feel that little bit more comfortable. Snuggling down she murmured and rubbed her eye.  
 

“Lily. Come on you, it’s almost time for Christmas dinner.”  
 

“What?” she asked groggily.  
 

“Christmas dinner Evans!” shouted Sirius from somewhere in the room.  
 

This woke her up a little more and she sat up, peering blearily around. “How long was I out?”  
 

“About an hour.” said Remus, a little softer than his boyfriend, from behind the new book he’d gotten that morning.  
 

James leant over the back of the sofa she was curled up on and looked down at her with a smile. “Feel a bit better?”  
 

She couldn’t help but smile back, she just felt rather fuzzy. “I’m nice and warm.”  
 

He laughed softly. “It looks mighty comfy in there. I’d climb in myself but I think Padfoot would have a fit if we didn’t get to the great hall.”  
 

“Oh no, you two get cosy on the sofa together, it’s fine. More Christmas dinner for me!” answered Sirius with a grin.  
 

James coughed and stood up straight while Lily busied herself with kicking off her covers. “Ooh it’s a bit cold in here, isn’t it?”  
 

“You must be joking!” said Peter, who was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans due to the ferocious fire.  
 

“Are you cold Lily? Do you want a jumper?” asked James concernedly.  
 

“Err sure, yeah, ta.” she replied to his retreating back before she turned to see the other three staring at her. “What?”  
 

“Oh nothing.” said Remus knowingly.  
 

“No, what’s up?” she asked suspiciously as Peter avoided eye contact.  
 

Sirius enlightened her. “He loves looking after you, he does.”  
 

“Oh right.” said Lily as she became very interested in her thick woolly bed socks.  
 

Smirking Sirius continued “And you love him looking after you.”  
 

Before she could answer (though her blushing cheeks revealed all) James strode back into the room carrying a deep red and gold sweater looking a little anxious. “The warmest thing I’ve got is my quidditch jumper; is that alright?”  
 

The other three Marauders exchanged looks and waited for Lily’s reply.  


\--------

The centrepiece of the table was the huge turkey stuffed with sage and onion stuffing and chestnuts, surrounded by plates covered in the most delicious looking food.   
 

Why then was Severus Snape sat looking at his plate with no appetite whatsoever? It might have had something to do with the fact that Lily Evans was sat further round the table wearing James Potter’s quidditch jumper.  
 

He felt sick.  
 

More than sick.  
 

Her light tinkling laugh pierced through him like a needle as she found something Professor Slughorn had said really funny.   
 

His stomach felt none existent.  
 

Everybody knows the significance of a quidditch player’s jumper. Everybody. Why Lily was wearing _his_ was beyond Severus. It was like a claim on a girl, to give her his jumper to wear; his name stitched across her back like a big sign saying ‘she’s mine’. If a girl accepted a guy’s quidditch jumper it was as though she’d agreed to be his. Like Lily had agreed to be Potter’s…  


_What a waste_ , he thought forlornly as he looked down at his potatoes.   


\---------

“Where’s Remus and Sirius gone?”  
 

James only had to raise his eyebrows in reply.  
 

Lily giggled and shot a look over to the corner of the room. “Will _he_ be ok?”  
 

Peter was curled up on one of the armchairs with his mouth wide open, snoring loudly. He’d gotten too thirsty at the table at dinner and Sirius kept filling his goblet with elf made mead.  
 

“Nothing a good bucket of cold water wouldn’t fix.”  
 

She yawned widely and stood slowly. “I’m going to have to go to bed I think. Christmas with you four is tiring.”  
 

He was stood already, warming his feet by the fire. “Yeah but it was fun though right?”  
 

She nodded. “I’ve had a good day, despite the whole hex, lake, freezing my ass off thing from yesterday.”  
 

“Hmm.” said James quietly. Every time someone mentioned the incident by the lake he seemed to grow stony.  
 

She noticed this and stared frankly at him. “James don’t do anything, please. I know what he did wasn’t pleasant but he’s ever so slightly evil, and your not.”  
 

For a second they were both staring at one another with determination until James’ face softened and he moved towards her. “Don’t worry; I’m not planning on doing anything… I’m glad you had a good day today.” He had put his hands on her upper arms softly and rubbed gently as if he was trying to warm her up.  
 

Her smile was serene and that fuzzy feeling that had been growing in her stomach all day was fizzing away quite nicely. “You don’t mind if I keep your jumper for tonight do you? I’m planning on sleeping in it ‘cause it’s so warm.”  
 

It was taking a lot for James not to grin a very goofy grin. “You can wear it whenever you want.”  
 

They stood in silence for a moment with only the noise of the fire crackling and Peter snoring.   
 

“Right well…I’m off to bed then.” she muttered quietly.  
 

James nodded but didn’t say anything as he swallowed quite awkwardly. All day he’d been waiting for a chance to kiss her (his courage allowing) and now seemed like _the_ moment. His mind flickered back to the disaster of a few weeks ago under the mistletoe but he pushed that thought away. Slowly he leant down and his heart leapt when she closed her eyes and turned her head upwards…  
 

Warmth.

Tentatively James’ hands ran round her and pulled her slowly closer to him as she trailed hers over his shoulders, their lips never breaking contact. In the end they found themselves in a rather fierce embrace full of relief and the liberation of previous frustrations. None of that seemed to matter right then.  
 

When Lily finally pulled away, her cheeks burning and fingertips tingling, she smiled. “I might feel well enough to go for a walk tomorrow.”  
 

James smiled lazily but didn’t reply; he just pulled her closer again and kissed her on the nose.  
 

There was a shuffling from the corner of the room that made both Lily and James turn around. Peter had gotten up and padded blearily across the room in the direction of the door. His eyes were almost closed and he staggered violently, nearly knocking into the hugging couple which he obviously hadn’t seen.   
 

‘THUD!’  
 

Peter was sprawled on the floor where he’d literally fallen like a tree trunk. “I’m alrigh'…” he mumbled into the carpet before disappearing into a new chorus of snores.  


***

**And there it was! Silly and fluffy I know, and no where near the standard of the other fics which were submitted but at Christmas all I really want is silliness and fluff! Hope you enjoyed it! XX**

   
   
   
 

 


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